Stream of Consciousness

This post title is adopted from MckMama. It's a post she does about once a week, and it's a post of her real, flowing thoughts as they come. No order, no particular paragraphing, just a stream of random thoughts....exactly what this post will be! So, from now on, if you see a post titled "Stream of Consciousness," consider this your warning: it's gonna be a random one!
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I have had a substitute in my classroom the past two days. Yesterday I was at a "Thinking Maps" training and today was our monthly all-day planning for my grade level. Friday is our school's Young Author's Conference and the students' finished and completed books are due. Well, you know I've been out 2 days this week already, so I'm feeling behind on knowing the progress of these books which frustrates me. Oh well.

Meanwhile, in the midst of all of this, I have been dealing with a huge nightmare of car dealing. It's been one thing after the other and at one point yesterday, I was ready to throw in the towel and forget it for now. I know my credit isn't in stellar condition, but get over it creditors. I'm not the only one. Take a risk and look at the situation. Most of the time, in the real-world, college students don't have credit scores in the 800s. In your ideal, fantasy world, maybe, but not in mine. So if you're so concerned about how I'm going to make monthly payments (even though I'm making more money now than ever before in my life) lower my interest rate so that my payments are lower. But that's too easy for you to wrap your mind around apparently. I realize you have to be careful, you creditor people, but at some point, you do have to take a risk, sit back and realize the reality of this economy. I am so over this mess.

Let me also mention, that last week I was driving around what I thought was an approved deal only to find out 5 days after signing the papers that Lakeland Toyota was uncapable of finding approval. Completely unprofessional and poor customer service. That's fine if you can't approve me, whatever, but do NOT have me sign papers saying it's a done deal. Terrible, terrible, utterly terrible business. I have since found a dealer in Tampa to approve me and will be signing with them soon, and as soon as I do, you can count on one thing. I will be taking that car with its invoice to Lakeland Toyota and I will personally be speaking with Lakeland Toyota's General Manager. Not to mention, that Lakeland Toyota insisted the night I drove that car off of their lot that I have insurance under my own name (I was still listed on my mom's with my Honda)and have to get that money reimbursed now that the car is no longer "mine." Needless to say, Lakeland Toyota has royally messed up and their general manager will know about it. More on that later. I've spent probably 3 hours total on the phone today, on hold, on the phone, on hold, and on hold again that I'm just tired of talking about it! (But writing/typing helps me vent! Ha!)

So I've got 9 days left with my students this year. This first half year as a teacher has been a real challenge, but I'm so thankful for everything God has taught me in and through it all. I'm so ready to embrace August head-on...my first full year of teaching! Dayna and I are moving June 30th. So excited that it's really getting closer. I actually talked about that just a few posts ago. I guess I really am ready! Ha! My mom turns 50 a week from today. I'm hoping to be able to visit her this weekend. Which reminds me, it's a 3-day weekend; hooray!!! I'm working on end-of-the-year awards for my students and thinking of fun and educational activities to do the last week. I'm also putting together a Spelling Bee. Sometimes I wonder what I want to get my Master's in considering my eyes have been opened to so many aspects of education working at an "F" school.

I have a shower to take, papers to grade, and sleep to get, so I'm done with this random stream of consciousness, just as much as you are bored of reading it. Ha!